Draft:Envato

• File:Symbol opinion vote.svg Comment: Unfortunately, this is the only source I can find that meets WP:CORPDEPTH. Everything else would be considered routine coverage (announcements, etc.). CNMall41 (talk) 22:35, 31 October 2025 (UTC)

• File:Symbol opinion vote.svg Comment: This draft is written from the viewpoint of the company, focusing on what the company says about itself. Corporate notability is based on what independent reliable sources have written about the subject.
  Not every business corporation is notable, and this draft does not establish corporate notability. You may ask for advice about corporate notability at the Teahouse.
  See Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Envato . This draft has been compared against the deleted article. This draft has less information than the deleted article. Robert McClenon (talk) 15:47, 6 September 2025 (UTC)

---

Envato

Envato is a technology company originally founded in Australia that operates digital asset marketplaces and a subscription-based platform for creative resources. Established in 2006, the company built a network of niche marketplaces before launching a subscription service offering unlimited downloads of creative assets. In 2024, Envato was acquired by the U.S.-based media company Shutterstock.

Draft:Envato

Company type	Private
Industry	Creative Tech
Founded	2006
Founder	Collis Ta’eed, Cyan Ta’eed, Jun Rung
Headquarters	Melbourne, Australia
Key people	Envato CEO Hichame Assi, Envato CMO Noelle Kim, CTO Nick Benjamin
Products	Envato, Envato Market, Envato Tuts+, Placeit by Envato, Mixkit, Reshot
Parent	Shutterstock, Inc. (2024–present)
Website	https://elements.envato.com/

History

Founding and Early Years

Envato was founded in 2006 by husband-and-wife team Collis Ta’eed and Cyan Ta’eed, along with long-time family friend Jun Rung, in Collis's garage in Bondi, Sydney. Vahid Ta’eed, Collis's brother, joined the company in 2008 as an executive director. The founders created Envato to provide an online marketplace for digital creative assets, including stock photography, website components, and other design resources. Until 2024, the company remained privately held and did not take external funding, with the founders’ wealth primarily associated with their ownership in the business.

In 2018, Envato made its first major acquisition by purchasing Mexican startup Placeit, a mockup and design platform. Co-founder Collis Ta’eed emphasized that the acquisition was driven by a shared vision and alignment of values between the two companies, rather than the location of Placeit. He noted that Placeit’s focus on providing accessible, template-based design content aligned with Envato’s existing products. The acquisition expanded Envato’s presence in the North American market.

Leadership Transition

In August 2020, Collis Ta’eed announced his decision to step down as CEO of Envato during the company's socially distanced birthday celebrations. Ta’eed remained involved with the company as chair after stepping down from the CEO role.

In October 2020, Hichame Assi was appointed CEO of Envato, succeeding co-founder Collis Ta’eed. Assi was previously the CEO of HotelsCombined, a global hotel search platform, and was inducted into the Web in Travel Hall of Fame in recognition of his work at the company.

Assi's appointment followed a year-long global search for a new CEO, as Ta’eed had been planning his transition for nearly three years. Assi expressed his intention to uphold Envato's community-centric approach while scaling the company globally in its next phase.

Educational Initiatives

Envato operates Tuts+, an educational platform offering tutorials and courses in creative and technical subjects. In April 2022, the company removed paywalls from over 1,300 courses, making them freely accessible. The platform covers topics including design, programming, web design, photography, videography, motion graphics, and business.

Product Development

In 2024 and 2025, Envato introduced tools using artificial intelligence for content generation. These include VideoGen, which generates videos from text prompts or images, as well as ImageGen, ImageEdit, and MusicGen. In 2025, Envato was among the third-party platforms to offer access to Google's Veo 3.1 model.

In March 2024, Envato partnered with KitBash3D to provide 3D model kits for digital content production.

Acquisition by Shutterstock

In May 2024, Envato announced its acquisition by Shutterstock for a reported $372 million. The acquisition was described as one of the most significant exits for an Australian scale-up. Following the acquisition, Envato continues to operate from its Melbourne headquarters.